I’m running on 6 hours of sleep over the last 48 hours and it’s almost 2AM. Excuse me if this post ends up being made of suck.

I’ll leave it to you to calculate how old Flit Asuno is by the time Kio is 13 years old (born about 10 years after the last great battle). Flit, anyway, is magnificent. I already think he is one of the most awesome, awesome characters not only in Gundam, but in mecha anime as a whole. Here in this episode, in his advanced years, he returned to complete his life’s circle: He is a Gundam designer and engineer once more, and had built the AGE 3 for his grandson Kio to pilot… because Flit knew that the Vagans will be back. He wouldn’t trust them with anything, including staying dead.

Not only did Flit build an advanced, updated Gundam prototype for Kio, he got him an incredible military-grade Mobile Suit battle simulator as a video game while he was still a freaking toddler. Sure he gave Asem Gunpla when he was a kid, but this time Flit put his money, authority, and expertise into play and trained a child super soldier for when the Vagans strike back.

Basically, Flit raised his own Desil Galette. And yes, Kio unlike his father, is an X-Rounder.

We find out from Kio that Asem disappeared during his last mission, the day when Kio was born. Like Flit, Kio grew up without a father. Flit must’ve felt really bad about this and did his utmost to give Kio all he could. And how! The AGE 3 is a combination of the ZZ Gundam as well as the Victory Gundam, with a large gun that reminds me more of Gundam Virtue’s more than any other weapon. It’s the design that appeals to me the most from the AGE Gundams, and I’ve looked forward to it making its debut the most.

I find it interesting how Kio, more than Asem and Flit, is such a gentle kid. However, his mild personality doesn’t get in the way of him performing courageous acts, and yes, piloting a truly badass Gundam. It’s bulkier in a strong way, with beam sabers that protrude from the arm directly, like Vagan mobile suits during the failed invasion.

While we’re certain that Flit let Kio score his first kills as a Gundam pilot, we can pretty much expect him to take a more active piloting role next episode because Zeheart himself comes stooping from the sky to attack the Gundam.

Only Kio has the luck of having to fight an X-Rounder in his very first time in a Gundam, at a younger age than even Flit himself when he fought Desil for the first time. Flit isn’t going to be relinquishing center stage just yet, whose vigilance having been proven right. I was at first annoyed at how the Vagans would attack population centers and not military bases, but I get that they were less about killing civilians but more about rousing their sleeping armies.

Transforming grunts… just like in Unicorn. The technology progression in AGE is something I’ve come to like. When the whole thing started we were all concerned at how the AGE System was broken out of the gate. But it took half a century for things to move along, especially when it came to Gundams. Compare this to the rather rapid escalation in the UC which had broken tech by 0083.

Of course there’s SEED and 00 where people just kept making superprototypes one after the other, with grunt units escalating once GN drives became sort of mass produced. But yes, AGE’s tech isn’t broken at all. It’s just that the mobile suits themselves are ugly. Only the AGE 3 itself is pretty.

Shut Up Judau, you’re only Jelaous than Kio remplace you as THE PINNACLE OF HUMAN EVOLUTION. (or Regresion in his universe, anyway being the son of a Super Pilot and grandson of a X-rounder make him a Super X-rounder by default)

but the most spoilerific thing was the OP…. Not one but two pseudo-gundam MS(One Veigan not less) in this one, beside the Goth Loli with Zehart(that will be the Veigan Princess and at the same time Zehart’s daugther… that is simple so much but amazing) plus some little thing.

And Kio asuno prove that in the future videogame will be the most cheap simulator(again the arcade who use his father)

I loved this episode. Kio’s arc is going to be awesome. I would like to introduce Kio to Ryuusei Date, Ascended Fanboy whose reflexes have also been honed by years of videogaming.
I can see it now. In a future SRW game, Flit, Asem and Kio are going to pull off some sick combination attack, along the lines of the Final Dynamic Special. It will be epic.

Being the last arc, I definitely feel that this will be the most epic of the three (i.e. with the Big Ring being blown up just like that). And that shot of Flit giving that MS simulator as a gift is funny… kinda reminds me of Vargas for some reason, haha!

I don’t think this post was made out of suck, just that the panel this time round was really weird … the last one in particular was just sadder than what I expected from you ghost, and Master Asia congratulating Flit on getting some Devil Cells made me raise an eye brow. But other wise, it was pretty good … You did forget a pretty obvious guest on your panel though (http://i.imgur.com/zbLoe.jpg) seriously dude, Bask Oum needs to at least say something about Granpa Flit’s awesome fashion sense.

I do get you are a huge fan of Flit’s, and to be honest, I’m sort of as well. Maybe not to the same extent, but out of all the cast members, he’s certainly the one who deserves the top billing the most (http://i.imgur.com/kD9Kz.jpg lol) for being the best developed character in the show (dare I say in the franchise even?), and for having this long and fulfilling life that I bet most of us would envy. He has a bit of a genocidal side to him that made him train his Grandkid to become, as you pointed out, Desil-lite, but at the same time thanks to his caring side for his family (and the fact Kio is actually Flit’s mother reincarnated) he never made his Grandson fall into the same abyss as Desil was in. If anything Kio proves to be an Asuno through and through, saving everyone and picking up his future honeycomb/wife via a gain mecha, cause that’s how the men of the Asuno roll.

I do think it’s sort of interesting that Kio was born only 10 years (cough, timeline re-writes, but you don’t really care about that) after Asem’s and Romary’s early marriage, compared to say Flit and Emily’s getting hitched at 21 and then having two kids quickly afterwards. I suppose it shows that there is a difference in the thinking between each generation (the older thought to build a family faster than the younger, so changing values?) or if Asem decided to hold off having a family with Romary at that point since he was still the then newly Special Ops. Captain on the front lines, so he didn’t want to have Romary spend her younger years taking care of a kid when there was a high possibility he might not come back.

Zeheart coming back is pretty damn good news, since he’s the only Vegan who is actually a decent person and has a good head on his shoulders. He is truly the leader of that would have lead the Vegan’s to their Eden in a better world, but alas, he is too blinded by his unwavering faith in the monstrous actual Leader of the Vegans. I will say that the fact that a Galleat standing in the way of an Asuno once again,and the son of the Asuno he was a friend with no less that he once took saved from plummeting into the atmosphere to his death, is pretty damn exciting. This is a blood feud that’s been going on for far longer than Kio had been around, on so many levels, between father and friend, between grandfather and murderer, that has reached a climax right now, and Kio has to take all the burden to end one way or another.

I will hold off any talks about the OP and the hints it gives for the moment, but I want to say, Vegan Princess. Called it. That is all.

So yeah, Fantastic episode, much like every other introductory AGE episode had been. The question is, will the rest be up to par? I remain optimistic that for the majority of this finale stretch, it will be.

When the Vagans keep declaring war by killing civilians and refusing peace talks, I think it’s perfectly justified that Flit feels just a tad genocidal towards the Vagans.

I’m wondering whether Flit felt partially responsible for getting Asemu MIA so he spend more time with Kio and hopes that Kio at least have a fatherly figure to look up to. I mean from the cut scenes and flashbacks Flit was really good towards Asemu too when Asemu was young so it’s no surprises he would actually take care of his grandson, and no surprises that Kio looks up to his grand dad too since Flit is just awesomely perfect. Just hope Kio isn’t going to suffer the same inferiority complex that his father did, but since it looks like Kio’s already got his X-Rounder ability awoken that’s probably not going to happen.

tech wise, both feddies and vegans has adopted a lot of designs from each other, from the vegan gundam to AGE 3 using emitter wings (although blue, not purple) to hover. and the blades that were once used by spallow units were reconstructed by vegans – pilots on the feds side however got better at doing their job, even if it is just a little bit. shit’s getting good. real good.

Halfway through the episode, I was thinking about Aquarion Evol, the talk about inheriting and knowing what to do in a giant robot’s cockpit.
“Kio inherited the legacy of the Gundams.” Thats all.

Flit is the best grandpa, I think he actually showed that much care towards Kio because he regretted not being a good father to Asemu after Asemu went MIA. Kio is proof that video games are the best when it comes to training someone.

Right off the bat, Asem is “missing” and not dead, and seeing that Gundam-like shadow in the OP along with the Vagans makes me think that there’s a connection.

Anyway, I like the AGE-3 already, much even more than the AGE-2. Flit sure is still a badass mofo for an old man, jumping off that Core Fighter to the G-Cepter as if his knees weren’t weak. Interesting enough, Kio is just stepping right into it like a video game BAWSS, and I like that he’s an X-Rounder already.

Now, for this generation, I’d like to see how Kio will develop, considering that he’s just taking the Gundam that fast and Flit seems to be hard on him considering that Kio is the only MAN from the family who can finish what he started.

As for Flit, man, this guy is godlike status already. He sure has the most colorful tour of duty for a Gundam protagonist, considering that he lived through generations, and whatever end he gets, I just hope he gets a good one.

Hahaha. Considering I’ve been saying it in Generation-2 with Asem, I shouldn’t be surprised if Generation-3 has Flit still running the show, or heck, even Asem, and Kio is just there to be the AGE-3 pilot.

Did anyone notice that in the OP there’s a girl which looks almost like you-know-who? Speculah is that she is either Zeheart’s daughter (unpossible), Ezelcant’s daughter (maybe) or the sister/clone/whatever of you-know-who, kept in cryosleep for more than half a century…

Blast you, SaiMecha nomination deadline! I would have had to go with these new mecha-Charizards those nutty Vagans use these days lololol. This show has seriously got some of the wildest, silliest, stupid-coolest, idiosyncratic mecha designs I ever saw. I mean, first we have a Gundam that’s both a pro-wrestler AND a Joe Musashi wannabe, THEN there’s (definitely not) a newtype mobile suit that rides a robot flower that is itself being remote-controlled by ANOTHER not-newtype MS, THEN there’s these gloriously craptastic Dragonzord things…I love this show so much.

AGE-1 = Kanetake Ebikawa saying “LOL I let Kunio Okawara design a pretty sweet RX-78-2 fan-art tribute two years ago for “Gundam 00” too (The O Gundam). I bet I can make ANOTHER ONE THAT’S EVEN MORE GENERICALLY GUNDAM!!! But I’ll make it a ninja and a pro wrestler too! THAT’LL BE TOTALLY AWESOME FOR THE KIDDOS THAT WILL (not) WATCH THIS SHOW!!! Yeah!

AGE-2 = Zeta Gundam homage that looks like an x-wing fighter with a huge phallus sticking off the front of it. Also can’t avoid whacking itself (hahahaha…) with its own wings since they’re attached at the shoulders.

AGE-3 – Started out as ZZ Gundam meets Ex-S Gundam meets V Gundam, but turned into something pretty cool and all its own while still paying due respect. It’s probably the only decent mobile suit in this whole show, as you said…

….except for the Genoace, which looks like a kid’s toy, which is perhaps one of the more ironic things in the whole Gundam meta-series. It’s the first MS to look like an actual toy right from the start 🙂 People can hate it, but it still doesn’t suck as bad as a Leo and people lurve that tv-headed thing.

What else is there to say but that Ebikawa-san likes a few select design themes and sticks with those. His hard-edged, clean, uncluttered style is instantly recognizable, just like Katoki’s or Okawara’s or Kondo’s signature elements, but it’s almost predictable that he’ll have outboard shoulder-mounted weapons, lots of cannons (and arms) and Gundams without mouth vents, etc. I like his look, but Gundam age hasn’t really been his best work, at all. The AGE-3 is definitely the best for the reasons you and others have described.

The AGE3 definitely has one thing and lumbering body profile. I kind of wish it’s combat style would reflect that, being more of an artillery unit than some dodgy front line duelist. But it’s the headlining suite of the show so who am I kidding. I really hope Flit stays as either the copilot of the AGE3 or comes flying in with an upgraded yet again AGE1.

Also, it looks like the Federation has decided to copy the 00’s Union military outfit. I approve, silly hat and all.

Also, Kio’s first sortie in the AGE3 is reminiscent of Shinji’s sortie in Unit-1. Except everything that went wrong for him from no previous training to asshole dad to looking in the mirror and seeing a monstrosity instead of a spiffy Gundam went right for Kio.

Definitely. Not many remember this, but Gundam Virtue is one of my favorite units. It’s a Gundam that stuck to its specialized purpose unlike goddamned Heavy Arms that dueled the Tallgeese in Antarctica (one of the worst Gundam fights ever, from concept to execution). But since we know Gundams are really forced to perform Gundam vs. Gundam duels, they put an Anti Gundam Gundam in the Gundam virtue just for this purpose… the fabulously haired Nadleeh… I’m still blown away by the concept and design.

They’ve reinvented a character three times in one show. That’s awesome.

Old Flit seems kind of kooky and more light-hearted to me. But that’s probably because his son is (presumed) dead, and he’s making it up for Kio. That or those goofy goggles.

Aeolia, you got owned. That’s how you execute a lifetime-long plan. I like how the Big Ring just got wiped out like that, in contrast to the efforts to protect it a few episodes ago. Also the implications of the previous battle with all the Vagans going down to Earth and into hiding.

I like AGE-3’s design, (Lol it’s wearing a cap) but it’s waaaaay too bulky. I still prefer the sleeker AGE-2.

I hope they do what I think they’ll be doing with Asem…. especially since it has Crossbone vibes.

Not too sure about Aeolia getting owned though, not that I’m defending 00 but Aeolia’s plan was this big mysterious thing that drove the narrative forward, as opposed to Exzelcant’s suddenly successful “oh so there was this part of the plan after all” thing… since the Vagans just kept getting owned.

Problem is, Aeolia’s “plan” was given as this thing that was so deliberate and mysteriously complex, yet being that it undermined itself in that we never get to see a “money shot” or something of his plan coming to fruition. It sublimated itself into the narrative, and we only get to see the indirect implications of it through CB’s actions. It might not even be what he had in mind. Which is why I thought it was a shame for him to die just like that, since you’ll never know if the events of the show was part of the plan or not.

I like Ezelcant’s plan, in contrast, because we get to see the fruition of the plan, even though it was so sudden. The Vagan that have been hiding show up. The Big Ring EXPLODED without a fight. Money shot. That alone was grand. Sure, the Vagans are going to get owned by the Gundams anyways, but at least we get to see the direct implication of their plotting.

You may want to check out Danball Senki, another cooperation of AGE’s creators Level-5 and Bandai. It’s about kids building functioning gunpla (complete with real weapons!) and duelling with each other in the future. It’s quite entertaining.

I just catch up with the last three episodes. For all my misgivings about Flit being genocidal and his apparent obssession with making his son and grandson into suitable pilots for the Gundam, it’s remarkable that he never sets himself up as the supreme ruler of the Federation. He had that chance during the purge, but didn’t act on that. His life purpose is truely to exterminate the Vagans. Happy birthday to the boss of AGE.

This show is a deep shit. He gave the boy a fuck’ng video game to kick vagan’s ass. Yeah right. He still can not get over with asem. How come flit is the fleet commander while his former captain is still a captain? Come on. Even amuro never overshadowed bright in tactical warfare during char’s counterattack. Why gave age-2 to some annoying bastard who disobies his superiors not once, but twice. Top class suits are suppose to be assigned to aces with a strict sense of discipline. And I’m beginning to think that there was somekind of favoritism in the army. Flit choosing Asem, flit teaching his grandson to kill someone. Yeah right, “War is Hell” pffft…..

Sorry about my earlier comment ghostlightning-san. I watched and started to like age, asemu remembered me of kamille with his personality. But I can’t help it, I’m kinda pissed off of how the third season turned out like this. Flit experienced the horrors of war himself. He lost yurin, Asem gone MIA and I hoped that flit will be bitter and become protective to Kio. I expected that the story will turn out that Kio will secretly train himself and will eventually prove to flit that he is worthy to his grandpa that he had what it takes to avenge his father. Gundam is suppose to show that it is better to avoid meaningless conflict, “War is hell” right? It’s been passed through generations not encouraging a 12 year old kid to go out there and bitchslap those vagan bastards. 😦

Flit is a great character precisely for those problematic choices. Why do I like Char Aznable? Is it because he pays his taxes? No. Failures big and small make characters interesting. In Char we’ve been shown wide swings of characterization — from mysterious to petty to damaged to heroic to evil to petty all over again, but over so many different shows. In Gundam AGE we get to see a life’s journey over a greater period of time for the main character. This is a tremendous feat and a valuable treat.

Flit as he is, has become my second most favorite character in Gundam after Char himself.

The Gundam Universe is wide, all timelines connect. Eventually in some timelines they strive for pacifism; By the end of the events in Mobile Suit Gundam Age, they achieved this atleast as far as we the fans were able to visually see via animated series and manga. That being said; Eventually this pacifism will decline. The ones who founded it, the protagonists and politicians of Gundam Age, will eventually die off and over other generations, eventually space war will breakout again and it will likely, as most Gundams, eventually initiate the next Gundam calendar-era.

You know this made no sense; Well Judau Ashta’s part atleast in the last image in this article where the Gundam Universe pilots are reviewing Gundam Age’s first main protagonist Flit Asuno; Why does what Judau say about Flit Asuno getting old make no sense in your fan-made picture? It makes no sense because within the calendar-era that Judau Ashta lived (and aged within), it’s confirmed he grew old throughout the Universal Centuy. After the events of Mobile Suit ZZ Gundam, Judau and Roux left to be part of the Jupiter Fleet. They remained there for some period of time throughout the Universal Century as far as it’s known; By the time of the events in Mobile Suit Victory Gundam, Judau was about 60-75 years old, he now goes by the name Grey Stoke. You would know what you made there made no sense if you’d been a scholar on Judau Ashta and the Universal Century. Just thought I’d point it out. :p
Judau Ashta became old; So did Flit; So did any Gundam pilot whom didn’t die in a war or of other causes. Just because the brief part of the calendar-era/universe the specific series shows you doesn’t show their entire life doesn’t mean they don’t live on, age, and eventually die one way or another.

“Judau also makes an appearance in the Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam: Skull Heart manga series by Yuichi Hasegawa. He pilots the Gump (a battle-worn ZZ Gundam in disguise), and goes by the alias Grey Stoke (the now old aged Judau Ashta should be around 60 years old). He enlists the help of the Crossbone Vanguard members to prevent the Jupiter Empire from getting their hands on Amuro Ray’s combat data which is embedded in the computer of an ancient Core Fighter, fearing that the latter would create a super weapon from it.

He re-emerges in the Mobile Suit Victory Gundam Side Story by the same author. This time, Judau is just almost 20 years older and is still seen piloting the Gump and assists Uso Ewin in battling the Zanscare Empire. He is still involved with the Jupiter Fleet and is “leader” of the Jupitris-class Heinlein. He oversees the Dandelion colony, which is revealed to be populated by Newtypes, a number of which are in cold sleep. After successfully defending the colony with Uso and Kamui Gian from Scale Sarpris’s attack, he leaves the Solar System with Kamui in the transformed interstellar spaceship Dandelion to Proxima Centauri, which would be colonized in U.C. 653.”
I’ll cite: http://gundam.wikia.com/wiki/Judau_Ashta#Side_Stories
Buy the manga to verify it as fact for yourself.
Judau grows old, I guess in your fan-weird mind he gives himself a 0/10 as well.
Personally though, Judau Ashta would hate your opinion of Flit Asuno, because Judau doesn’t share the same opinion as the person who made the last image in this article.